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Protein Memory

How to study this subject

There have been many methods and proteins researched for use in
computer applications in recent years. However ,among the most promising
approches,and thje focus of this seminar is 3D optical RAM storage
using the light sensitive protein bacteriorhodopsin.

Bacteriorhodopsin is the light-harvesting protein found in the membrane
of a microorganism called Halobacterium halobium. This bacterium grows
in salt marshes where the salt concentration is roughly six times the
salt concentration in seawater. When the oxygen becomes too low to
sustain respiration, the purple membrane, where the bacteriorhodopsin,
resides is grown. The protein, upon the absorption of light, pumps a
proton across the membrane, generating a chemical and osmotic potential
that serves as an alternative source of energy. In this fashion, the
Halobacterium can, when the need arises, switch over from respiration to
photosynthesis; this is a very unique characteristic.

Survival
in the harsh environment of the salt marsh, where temperatures exceed
150 degrees Fahrenheit for extended periods of time, requires a durable
protein that resists thermal and photochemical degradation.
Bacteriorhodopsin, then, has provided scientists with a protein that
defies the conventional logic that proteins are too fragile and unstable
for use in computing devices. and natural selection have provided
scientists with a natural protein which can survive environments so
harsh that few semiconductor devices could survive in such conditions.

Among the major advantages of using bacteriorhodopsin for computer applications are:  long-term stability and resistance to thermal and photochemical degradation 
a cyclicity (the number of times it can be photochemically cycled)
which exceeds 106, a value considerably higher than most synthetic
photochromic materials  high quantum yields (efficient use of light) which permits the use of low light levels for switching/activating